Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-01-27
NANCY DEDMAM.

country TOuDu. anu III NCICA lO4 Aooi
imp that they gived the place to the devil
neither; there's the Devils Jumps over
to Frensham, and his punchbowl at your
feet; and ever to the Downs you sees his
very marks, his claws as where he grab
bed as he fell. And the deeds done
round about were his own and no mis-
take.
I'm thinking now Of tale as it is not
SO known as it should be. That stone be-
fore ye tells of the poor sailor chaps as
was murdered here, for his money no
doubt = coming from Portsmouth he
were; but no stone no book, SO far as
know, has spoke for Nancy Dedman.
"Her's was death indeed. I can't
speak to the particulars, for / had it as 1t
were handed down through ninety years
and more; but [ won't tell you a lie If
can help it; and for all [ haven't it
chapter and verse, its wonderful lifesome,
too.
1.-THE Dedmans lived, when they was to
home, in bit of place in the Combe
there. You might pass within yard OF
it and rot see it, SO grandfather said.
They was of smuggling crew. There
was a chain gang of them smugglers
from Portsmouth all the way, and wild
set they was. They had the country on
their side though, and the coast-guardses
was thought no better than they deserved.
There was two brothers. Dick and Joe
Dedman, and their father, and Nancy was
the one girl. She was beauty, by all &C
counts-very wild, too, and as rare one
at smuggling as any of them; and she
would ride bareback on any horse, and be
ont all night and all day, and many's the
time when she's kept the coastguardses at
bay, and done many bit of business as
wanted woman's wit and mans
strength.
s'She must have been still lass when
there was news of rare lot of spirits and
and baccy lit was the war time), and the
word was passed along the line from
Portsmouth to Hinde Head, and beyond,
too, in course. And the Kings men got
wind on it, and they made ready for a
fray-they thought as how they would
break the the neck of this smuggling bus
mess; moro fools they! as if poor men
were to be put down and denied their
rights so easy!
Well, it seemed as they planned to put
SO many at each of the smuggling posts,
ali ready-and they said they would settle
all, and easy, too, excepting the Dedman
lot, on account of Dick Dedman; he was
warrant agin him ever so long, but never
could lay hand ON him nor find out where
he put p. So one of the Kings men,
the son of farmer took the job. And
he dropped down one day on Nancy Ded-
man in the C0mte, and made out as he
were a sailor on his way to Lunn0n, and
he asked for a bite and q drink. She ask
ed him in and gave it to him. And he
talked from one to t'other of foreign
parts and the wars, and Nancy, she were
terribly took up with it all; and he had,
they said, way with him, and he were
an honest young chap, too, for his trade.
Without so much as her finding out, she
gets to tell he that she is alone till the
nigkt, till the old man come, and that he
and the lads was away; he was but lately
come back, and every one was on his side
and would not betray to any of the King s
men-she, who was that sharp they call
cd 'Hawk-eyed Nance she were drawed
on and on-snd he wound up with more
of his tales, and he went on his way, leav-
ing her a thinking on the Indies, and
wishing she might see the sailor again.
1'But he, he went back to his mates,
and they followed Dick up, and sure
enough they nailed him at the mill, and
ne were warranted and throwed into jail.
Well, the fray came off, and the coast
gaardses beat the smuugglers all along
the line, and Joe Dedman was killed in
the tray, and the old man swore he would
track the traitor who told on Dick and
take his life for his son Joe; for had Dick
been there he would have been one too
many for the devils of kings men.
Nancy hadn't a thought as how it were
she: no, not when at the Haslemere Fair
oh of tho sailor who said D . row
he'd settled down with his father, old
Farmer Kemp, 30 Godasming-whic was
truth, for he'd giv'd up the coastguards
ing.
Zone way and another they were al
ways meeting, and young Kemp lost his
heart to she, and they say he told his
father he must have Nancy Dedman OF
be off to the war. The old farmer shook.
ed his head, but he never could give his
son any denial, and when once he brought
Nancy to see the old man he said he were
bound to say that Nancy had the ways OF
a lady, for all she we're so brown and was
of the Dedman lot. 1t made a deal OF
talk, but old Dedman, he took no heed
till one day-it were soon after Dick
came home; I never heard who gotGer
him out, but It were soon after. Well
one day Nancy spoke up that she was
going to get married to young Farmer
Kemp. There was kick up! the ole
man and Dick had set their minds te
gire Nancy to one Of their crew to Ports
mouth; to keep her in the trade, and tt
keep themselves fair with the head erev
there. And the whole crew there
was mad after Nancy Dedman. Name.
stood to it. that she'd marry young Kemp
and they gave her time of it! a regla
persecution as ever you lind IN Fox
Martyrs, short of the stake We'll say. Blu
Nancy were none of that sort; she stoot
TO her say-and one day when they wa
out of the house, but not far off, for the.
never left she alone, Jim Kemp crawle,
in from arnong the bracken shed adver
tised he of the danger) and tells as HI
father WIS just dead, and he must hav
an end of this, and will she fix the day
He said as how he'd come and take he
away by force if need be, he and some o
his olo mates; and as she WIGS puzzlin
how he could get lot Of sailors all CT
sudden (you see, she know'd nought Q
the coast-guard's business) Dick looked
at the door, and his face was the devil
a L. tor.